Douglas Relocation

Bronzeville, Douglas, Groveland Park, Lake Meadows, Prairie Shores, South Commons

Deemed the "Black Metropolis" in the early 1900s, the Douglas area suffered many economical setbacks that contributed to the high crime and degradation of this community. Over the past decade, the Chicago Housing Authority and the residents have worked to greatly reduce the crime rate. Located 10 minutes from downtown Chicago, Bronzeville is a lakefront community with seven historic districts and more than 30 National Register of Historic Places landmarks. The neighborhood is ripe with strong cultural and entertainment roots including a Blues Entertainment District and an Art Gallery District.

There has been a lot of reconstruction of the community; low-rise homes have replaced the high-rise, public houses. The average home price is just about $200,000.

In the 1930s Bronzeville had become the epicenter for Chicago's African-American culture. During the 1970s, an economic decline left the community struggling for decades. In the past few years the residents have continued the rebuild the area, bringing new venues, with a nod to the past.

The community has formed a campaign “Restoring Bronzeville,” featuring a redevelopment plan preserving the heritage and infrastructures throughout the neighborhood. The Black Metropolis Convention & Tourism Council (BMC&TC) has invested in African American Heritage Tourism, an economic development strategy, one of the fastest growing segments among leisure travelers. Such historical elements include the DuSable Museum of African-American History at Dyett Recreation Center, The Bronzeville Information Visitor Center and the McCormick Place Convention Center, set to be the nation’s largest convention facility by 2007. Here you'll find the Victory Monument Plaza, the nation’s only monument dedicated to WWI's to the African American soldiers. You will also find the city’s largest collection of outdoor public art and 91 plaques honoring Chicago’s notable African-American.